Zach Bryan Review: Country Superstar Ignites Singalongs, Fanfare and Pseudo-Hoedowns

Hyde Park, London

Under the glowing evening sun cascading upon Hyde Park, the country singer-songwriter instigated a beer-swelling, free-spirited performance for his aspiring country followers across two sold-out shows at BST Hyde Park.

The cowboy and cowgirls infiltrated Hyde Park on this fine summer's evening. Clad in suitably fashionable boots, some draped in red, white and blue, the masses had duly convened for their current country saviour amidst tonight's spotlight.

In recent years, Bryan has made a rapid ascent: American Heartbreak turned him into one of country’s most distinctive new voices, the self-titled follow-up in 2023 carried him to major stages, and The Great American Bar Scene another year later delivered global chart success. Amongst a lengthy list of supportive collaborators (Bruce Springsteen, Maggie Rogers, Kacey Musgraves) and sell-out shows, Bryan deemed long overdue on his return to the U.K., with such a highly-anticipated pairing of sold-out shows at Hyde Park's annual BST series.

Breezy guitar lines tease 'The Star-Spangled Banner' before a full band surges into the fray, shortly after Bryan inviting the crowd to “hold on tight, ’cause I’ll be workin’ overtime.” 'Open the Gate' continues the charge, its defiant chorus (“I’m here to prove I’m better than my father was…”) ringing over a sunlit, beer-sloshed field filled with well-inebriated, joyous fans. There’s a breezy, radio-friendly skip to 'Blue Jean Baby', all about an unlikely devotion to denim, while '28' drifts into quieter, homeward territory (“Sometimes I wish I was 28 and still waiting on my life to start”), seamlessly swaying and intertwining with the warm summer air.

Bryan’s knack for folding hard truths into singalongs effortlessly shows on 'Fifth of May', 'Oklahoma Smokeshow', and the yearning 'Dawns', where he pleads, “Wake me up when the season’s gone, ’cause I’ve wasted all my dawns on you.” His new song 'Streets of London' gets its live debut, delivered in full just days before release, the park falling briefly still before the applause inevitably swells. 'Pink Skies' lands as the ultimate emotional pinnacle; hushed and intimate in its verses, then breaking open into the cathartic, brass-laden refrain, “I bet God heard you comin”, providing perhaps the most-spine-tingling moment of tonight's intrinsically heartfelt show.

The closing run invariably leans on joy and camaraderie. 'Heading South' features an unexpected appearance from earlier support Ollie Hawkins, the two bouncing off each other in the joyous chorus (“Don’t stop goin’, goin’ South”). 'Hey Driver' brings Dermot Kennedy into the fold for a rich, harmony-heavy turn. After 'Burn, Burn, Burn' and 'Quittin’ Time', Bryan signs off with an extended 'Revival', stretching past 15 minutes consumed by band introductions, countless refrains of “Cause we’re havin’ an all-night revival,” and an emblazoned lightshow finale.

This evening, Zach Bryan stamped his authority on the burgeoning country-pop scene, fitting comfortably alongside such country-inflected contemporaries (Beyoncé, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Dolly Parton), backed by an impressive band and effortlessly easy-going charisma. The night underscored country music’s continuing surge into the mainstream – a sound poised to grow further on airwaves and stages alike, marrying heartfelt blues with infectious hooks. Bryan excels at finding light in sorrow and hope in strife, proving once again that even if country isn’t “the most beautiful thing in the world,” it’s more than capable of finding beauty in despair.

7.5/10

Zach Bryan's latest LP, The Great American Bar Scene, is out now via Belting Bronco Records and can be found below. Photo is courtesy of Bethan Miller whose work can be found here.